Nut meat picking machine



Julie 4 1945 v. l.. RODRIGUEZ, sR., ET AL 2,401,437

` NUT MEAT PIGKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 4, 1946. v. L. RODRIGUEZ. SR., ET AL 2,401,437

NUT MEAT PICKIG MACHINE Filed oct. 4,1945 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS E .6. Vizw'elubL.RodJ- lez/cfr.

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June 4, 1946. v. L. RODRIGUEZ, sR., vET Al. 2,401,437 'l NUT MEAT" PICKING MACHINE vFiled oct. 4, 1945 s sheets-sheet 5 f6 L.. I

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@y t TTO/EMEY- Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEl NUT MEAT PICKING MACHINE Vincent L. Rodriguez, Sr., Los Angeles, Vincent L.

Rodriguez, Jr., Maywood, and Rudolph R. Rod-1` riguez, Los Angeles, Calif. i

Application October 4, 1943, Serial No. 504,866

23 Claims. (Cl. 209-109) l 2 The present invention relates generally to the many instances results in scraping the meats picking of nut meats from the cracked shells of aside rather thanimpaling them, that machine nuts. especially English walnuts, and has for its picking has been laid aside as inecient and imprimary object the provision of a machine which practical.

will efficiently and successfully recover the meats. 5 In proposing a machine for this work, the presin an economically advantageous manner and ent invention aims not only to efficiently pick proportion as compared to machines heretofore nut meats Without the disadvantages above noted, proposed for this purpose as well as the manual but to effectively remove the meats from'the pickpicking and recovery of the meats now generally ing elements 'with' a percentage of shell-free rein common use. Y l0 covery greatly superior to any previously known Notwithstanding previous proposals for mamachine and greatly superorto hand picking. chine recovery of nut meats from cracked shells, It is a further object ofthe present invention it has long been, and still is, the common practice to provide for a high percentage of recovery-in a to effect the recovery manually. For this purpose machine having an arrangement of picking nee'- operators are usually seated along conveyors in dles working relatively `to the feed belt, and

the nature of feed belts upon which the cracked spaced apart according to the graded size of the shell and meats are carried past the operators for shell, in a manner which avoids. danger of'shell the hand removal of the nut meats, and the'perbeing caught or wedged between them, to thus centage of recovery is substantially greater than minimize needle breakage and/or distortion, and that of any machine operation proposed up to the machine stoppage for the repair and substitupresent time and is fairly satisfactory, except'for tion of parts. y the scarcity and high cost of the labor involved. It is a further object to Aprovidea machinein Machines heretofore proposed have been conwhich the above advantages may be effectively sistently inadequate, not only on account of the accomplished with needle-like picking elements,

low percentage of recovery, but because of the and in which necessary yield as'between a nee'- k failure to eliminate all shells, and the frequent dle, when engaging a shell, and the pickingsurbreakage and distortion of picking needles with face or conveyor, is permissible Without mechanthe resulting necessity for shutdown in order that ical complications 'entering into machine conrepairs and substitutionof parts may be made. struction, or into the needle supports, to thus The more or less conventional type of machine economically avoid needle breakage and/o1- disis that in which the needles are mounted to protortion.

trude peripherally from a revolving cylinder dis- With the foregoing general statement'and obposed across the feed belt. The needles, rolling in jects of the invention, its further objects, advancontact with the belt, impale the relatively soft tages, and a preferred structure wherebyV it may meats and reject the shell, but several considerabe carried out, will be better understood and more tions lead to low percentage of recovery and frethoroughly appreciated, from the following dequent breakage and/or distortion of needles. The scription in detail thereof; and by reference to meats must, subsequently, be stripped from the the accompanying drawings, illustrating what is needles and a stripping comb is generally embelieved to be the best mode thus far devised for ployed, though its use necessitates arrangement 40 carrying lthe invention intopractical effect.

of the needles in regular spaced lines and such In the drawings, which form a part of this specarrangement means that the surface of the belt ication,

is not well covered by the needles and percentage Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly broken away of recovery suifers. Moreover, shell received and y and in section. i

wedged in the combs means distortion of all nee- Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the feed hopper dles subsequently engaging the wedged shell. removed. Y

Another consideration is that complicated Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the picking member,

means must ordinarily be present to permit yield looking along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

of the needles in the presence of unyieldlng shell Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof partly broken fragments, otherwise needles are subjected to a away. i

higher breakage factor and frequent shutdovvns Fig- 5 is a, detail side view of a portion of Fig. 4.

are necessary. This loss of time is a substantial Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a portion of factor of inefficiency when added to the low perthe picking member.

centage of recovery of the needles traversing only Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectional View taken definite lines or paths in the belt supported mass substantially on line l-l of Fig. 2.

of meat and shell fragments. y Fig. 8 is a detail verticalsectionalvview taken It is mainly for the above reasons, plusthe fact substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

that in such machines the needles are never pre- Fig. 9 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken sented definitely in the directions of their lengths substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 1,/ and, to the Work, but angularly to a degree which in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail vertical sectiona views showing different steps in the picking operation.

Referring now to the foregoing figures, and particularly to the assembly of Figs. 1 and 2, the picking member in the present instance, is a circular, horizontally disposed, horizontally rotating disc I5, fixedly mounted on the lower-end of a hollow rotating shaft I6 and provided with a plurality of depending picking needles l1.

The shaft I is mounted through bearing plates I8 in connection with the intermediate horizontal cross bar or member I9 of a frame including upright side members 20 and an upper crossbar or member 2I, the near upright 2B in Fig. 1 being broken away.

Above the intermediate frame member I9, the upper end of shaft I6 is diametrically slotted at 22, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, providing for the splined connection of a horizontal gear 23 having inwardly extending projections 238 entering the slots 22 to thus provide for rotation of the sha-ft and at the same permit of its vertical reciprocation or vibration. Gear 23 is in mesh with a pinion24 at the lower end of an upright shaft 25. The shaft 25 is mounted in bearings 26 on thev intermediate frame member I9 and upper frame bar 2I and has, above the latter, at its upper end, a bevel gear 21 in mesh with a similar gear 28 on the main upper horizontal shaft 29.

The upper shaft 29v is mounted in bearings 30 on the upper cross member 2I of the frame and is provided at its inner end with a depending strap eccentric 3I having a universally movable connection at its lower end at 32, as best seen in Figure 8, with a rigid internal crosshead 33 within the hollow upright shaft I6. Thus during its rotation, shaft I6 is continuously reciprocated for a purpose which will presently appear. At the outer end thereof, beyond one of the side uprights 2D of the frame, shaft 29 is preferably provided with a balance wheel 34 and also has a pulley 35 around which is trained the upper end of a drive belt 36.

Disposed lengthwise between the side uprights 2!! of the frame, is a relatively narrowr base memb er 3l which projects forwardly and rearwardly beyond the frame. This base member may be connected to the uprights 20, from which it is laterally spaced, although if both the base member and frame are bolted or otherwise anchored to a floor or other suitable foundation, no connection between these parts is necessary,

The .base member 31 supports at its forward and rear ends suitable upright bearing pedestals 38 and 39 for the shafts 40 of guide rollers 4I. Around these guide rollers 4I is disposed a horizontally travelling endless feed belt 42 which passes beneath the picking member I5 and between nut meat discharge hoppers 43 fixed to the frame uprights 20. It is to be noted at this point that the feed belt 42 is of substantially less width than the diameter` of the picking member or disc I 5, and that it is of laminated construction, being composed of an inner layer 44 of leather, canvas or other sustaining belt material, and an outer relatively thick, heavy layer 45 of sponge rubber, as best seen in Figures and 11'. The purpose thereof will presently be plain.

The shaft 40 of the rear roller 4I has at one end a pulley 46 receiving a belt 4l which connects the same with a driving motor 4B, or otherA suitable source of power for imparting movement to the feed belt 42 sothat its uperrun travels rearwardly from afeed hopper 49, from which it receives the cracked nut meats and shells previously graded to definite size.

The driving -belt 36 for the upper shaft 29 extends around a pulley 5G on the above mentioned feed belt shaft 4I), at its opposite end, to thus drive the upper shaft 25, and the forward shaft 40 of the said belt has a pulley 5I at one end connected by a short belt 52 with one end pulley 53 of a distributor shaft 54,'seen in Figs. l and 9. This shaft 54 extends across the feed belt 42 adjacent to the feed hopper 49 and is provided with a series of spaced apart, peripherally notched discs 55, rotating closely to the surface of the feed belt so as to prevent over-accumulation of cracked shell and meat in piles on the belt in counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1 and bring about more even distribution thereof.

Referring now to the details of the picking member I5, as best seen in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, and Figs. l0, ll and l2, the needles I'I may be fixed to depend from the picking disc by extending the same downwardly through openings in the disc, and providing the same with upper heads 56, as in the latter figures, seated in upper counterbores so that the entire series of needles may be held in place by a plate 51 secured across the upper surface of disc I5.

No provision need be made, according to the present invention, for vertical yield of the needles when engaging a shell fragment 58 as in Fig. l0. The soft yielding surface presented by the upper sponge rubber surface or layer of the belt permits the shell, fragments to be depressed without depressing the belt itself, to thus avoid low points in the belt, and so as not to depress nearby nut meatsaway from adjacent pins or needles Il, It is to be understood that the free lower ends of the needles are blunt to the extent that, while capable of readily penetrating relatively soft nut meats 59, as in Fig. 1l, they will not penetrate, but reject and depress, the relatively hard shell fragments 58 of Fig. 10. It is essential however, that` the needles be so arranged with respect to one another that the spaces between each needle and those' nea-rest thereto be greater than the graded size of shell and meats fedthereto on the beltl 42, in order to avoid danger of wedging of shell fragments between the needles.

Thel needles I'I, which are secured, in the manner stated, to the horizontal plate I5 and penetrate the stripper plates 60, are of spring material, thereby enabling them to bow or deflect slightly when, during their rotatory motion they engage, in the course of impaling nut meats the horizontally moving belt 42. Inasmuch as the reciprocatory movement of the picking disk l5 iS substantially greater than its speed of rotation, it will be obvious that the period of contact of the impaling needles I'l with the belt 42 is relatively very short and hence, while they may be subjected to a slight deflection, they are never bent for this reason.

As will be seen particularly in Figs. 3 to 6, inelusive, the needles I'I not only extend through, and below, the picking disc I5, but also through and below an annular series of segmental stripper plates BEI, each of which is a segment, and each of which is normally positioned in flatwise contact with the lower surface of the disc and supported upon the lower ends of supporting stems 6I movably upstanding through bearing members 62 in said disc and provided with upper headsv 63 and surrounding coil springs B4 compressedl between the said heads B3 and the upper surface of the picking disc I5. Thus downward pressure on, and movement of, the supporting stems 6I of any of the stripped segments 60 will cause individual downward movement of that segment along the needles I1 passing therethrough, and will serve to discharge from the needles any nut meats 59 which the needles may have previously impaled while at the same time such downward movement of the segments will straighten any needle or needles that mayhave become bent by reason of impact on any hard or foreign object lodged on the belt.v

It has been previously stated that the diameter of the picking disc I5 is substantially greater than the width of the feed belt 42, and it is plainly shown in Fig. 3 that this difference is such that in the rotation of the disc the stripper segments SEI are successively positioned at, and beyond, opposite sides of the belt where the nut meats may be stripped over the nut meat receiving hoppers 43, to thus discharge the meats without touching the belt.

For the above purpose, and bearing in mind the picking disc I5 is being constantly vertically reciprocated and horizontally rotated so that the lower ends of the needles impale the nut meats by reason of their movement vertically with respect to the feed belt 42, it is obvious' that as they shift across the belt in constantly varying relation to the belt surface in their movement, they will seek out substantially every portion of the moving layer of cracked shell and meats on the belt. As each diametrically opposed pair of segments 60 arrives, as in Fig. 3, in positions beyond opposite sides of the belt 42 and above hoppers 43, the upper heads E3 of the stems 6I of these segments aline beneath stripping projec-` tions depending stationarily at these points from supports 66, so that in the succeeding upward movement of the picking member as in Figs.`

4 and 5, the stems 6I and their segments 60 are prevented from upward movement and thus the needles I'I are drawn upward1y through the segments and stripped of their impaled nut meats. The operation, of course, takes place as each diametrically opposed i pair of segments 60 reach positions at opposite sides and free Vof the belt 42 and under the projections 65. It will be observed in Fig. 4, that the heads 53 of all of the I stems 6I, except those that have been moved outside and on diametrally opposite sides of the' belt 42, and are in operative engagement or alinement with the abutments 65, are above the bottoms of the abutments 65, when the plate or disk I5 is in its highest'position, and that all ofthe heads 63 are normally below the bottoms of the abutments when the disk I5 is in its lowest or impaling position, as seen in Figs. V1 and 2. Therefore, as the disk rotates, certain of said heads on opposite sides of the belt 42 are brought into alinement with said abutments while the disk is in depressed or impaling position. When the disk rises, the alined heads, striking against the abutments, are held stationary, producing thereby the resultant relative movement between the disk and stripper plates and effecting dislodgement of the meats impaled on a battery of needles that has moved beyond the horizontal plane of the belt. In the impaling position of the disk I5, the stems 4BI above the surface of the disk are of equal height always. Their length relative tothe top of the disk changes only during the stripping action, as seen in Fig. 4.

It will be clear from the above that no action of the stripper plates occurs While the impaling members are traversing the belt area, and that running horizontal plane .of the belt, inwhich place are fdisposedthe stripper segments operatingmeans 65. .Nut 'meats are continuously impaled on the needles as theyrevolve lcomparatively slowly` andreciprocate comparatively fast and they are carriedl thus impaled on the needles beyond'the area ofthe belt, at whichV time the stripping of the meats occurs in the manner and by the lmeans heretofore detailed. When the heads 63 of the'stemsBI remove from engagement with the abutments, thel stems and stripper plates return to normal position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, under the tension of the springs 64, while another stripperfplate with its stems and heads is moved into position for actuation. The impaling process and the stripping process are therefore sequentially continuous.

In general operation, movement of the belt 42 is started' wherrmotor a is switched on, and at the saine time,fthrough the connections previously described, the upper shaft 29 is rotated so that'the picking disc I5 is rotated to swing its annular series of pickingl ngers Il across the belt forwardly and rearwardly of the vertical shaft IS, and isconstantly vertically reciprocated at a speed substantially greater than its speed of rotation. As the needles move across the belt they vpick up the nut meats and reject the shell fragments and are strippedor unloaded over the receiving hoppers '43 at opposite sides of the belt in the manner just previously described. The shell fragments pass on, with the belt, to discharge inl anyisuitable manner therefrom.

The feed hopper 59 is shown as mounted in connection with side walls or plates $1 extending from, and connectedto, the forward side uprights 2U'of the picker frame so'that by the time the cracked shell andmeats, previously graded to a denite size in respect to the spacing of the picking needles il, reach the picking member or disc I5, they will be substantially uniformly distributed over the surface of the belt through the action of the distributor shaft 5d and its discs 55.

The stationary supports 65 of the stripper projections S5, which are disposedV above opposite sides of the feed belt 42; forthe purposes before stated, may be rigidly connected to the frame uprights 2B and to the intermediatecross member I9 of the frame which supports the bearings for the Shafts I6 and 25.

Having-thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is: l e

l. In a machine for picking nut meats, a rotatable and vertically reciprocating picking member, having'blunt needle-like picking elements for impaling nut meats and depressing shells without impalement, means for continuously rotating and simultaneously vertically reciprocating said picking `member means operable relative to said picking member and the elements thereof to dislodge'rneats from certain only of said elements, a movable conveyor for feeding cracked shells and meats beneath said picking member, and a relatively thick layer of sponge rubber on said conveyor for maintaining each depressed shell in localized yielding relation beneath the respective picking element. Y v

2. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking member having depending needle-like picking elements, means for rotating and vertically reciprocating said member, a conveyor operating beneath said picking member for feeding cracked shell'and meats thereto, and means for discharging nut meats from' certainof the picking elements after rotation thereof,A operable by, and'. during movement' of, said picking; member in oneand means carried by, and moving with, thesaid picking disc for stripping nut meatsfrom the.

needles.

4. In a machine for picking nut. meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for supporting cracked meats and shells, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking member above, and cooperating with, the feedy belt having picking needles, means for rotating and reciprocating said picking member, and means carried by, and operating with, said picking member after a partial rotation thereof for stripping nut meats from the said needles.

5. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed; belt for supporting cracked meats and shells, a transversely rotating and vertically reciprocating picking member, including nut meat impaling needles, above and cooperating with the feed belt, means for rotating and reciprocating saidy member, and means carried by said picking'l member and opera-table by, and during reciprocation thereof after an initial rotary movement thereof, for stripping impaled nut meats from the needles.

6. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally movable feed belt for supporting cracked nut meats and shells, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking member above said belt and having depending needles, said member extending in part beyond at least one side of the belt, and means carried by, and operating with, the said member for stripping impaled nut meats from said needles at and beyond` said side of the belt.

'7. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally movable feed belt for supporting cracked nut meats and shells, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking member above said belt and having depending needles, said member being of a diameter substantially greater than the width of the belt, and means operating with said member for discharging impaled nut meats from said needles at points beyond the sides of the belt.

8. In a machine for picking nuty meats, aA horizontally moving feed belt for supporting cracked nut meats and shells, a picking' disc disposed parallel with and above the belt and having depending picking needles adapted to impale nut meats and reject shells, means for horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating said disc relative to the belt, a series of stripper plates carried by said disc and means effective duringY reciprocation of the disc and at certain points in the rotation thereof, for actuating said stripper plates to.strip impaled nut meats from the needles.

9. In a machine for picking nut meatsa horizontally moving feed belt forsupporting cracked nut meats and Shells, a picking disc disposed parallel with and above the belt andhaving depending picking needles adapted to impale nut, meats and reject shells, means for horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating said disc relative to the belt, said disc being of substantially greater diameter than the width of the belt, a series of stripper plates carried by, and normally moving with, the disc, and means effective to shift each stripper plate, relative to the disc, as it reaches a position laterally beyond the belt, for stripping nut rneats4 from the needles of the corresponding area of the disc.

10. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for carrying cracked shells and meats, a rotating and vertically reciprocating picking member above said belt, having picking needles cooperating with the belt to impale nut meats and reject shells, means for rotating and reciprocating said picking member, and -means carried by said picking member, for rotation therewith, and effective by reason of reciprocation thereof, for discharging impaled nut meats from certain of the picking elements or needles.

11 In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for carrying graded and sized shells and nut meats, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking disc above, and extending laterally beyond. the feed belt, having depending picking needles cooperating with said belt for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells, and so spaced With respect to one another and in relation to the sized shell fragments as to prevent the latter from wedging between the needles, means for actuating said disc, a series of stripper plates carried by said disc for independent operation to strip impaled nut meats from th'e respective needles in the direction of the lengths of the latter, and means for successively actuating said stripper plates laterally beyond the belt whereby the stripped nut meats may fall to discharge free of the belt.

l2. In a machine for picking nut meats from cracked and graded shell and meats, a horizontally movable conveyor for supporting the cracked shell and meats, a picking member above,

and bodily, vertically shiftable toward and from,`

said conveyor, picking needles depending from said picking member for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells during shifting movements 0f the picking member toward the belt, means for continuously' shifting said picking member vertically and rotating said picking member during operation, and means movable relatively to said picking member and operablev by, and effective during, shifting movements of said member away from the belt, for stripping impaled nut meats from the needles.

13. In a machine for picking nut meats from cracked shell and nut meats, a horizontally movable conveyor for supporting the cracked shell and meats, a picking member above, and bodily, vertically shiftable to and from said. conveyor, picking elements carried by said member and disposed endwise toward the conveyor as the member moves downwardly to the conveyor, for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells, means for continuously shifting the picking member vertically toward and away from the conveyor during operation, and means carried by the picking` member and effective during, and by reason of, vertical movements thereof away from the conveyor, for discharging impaled nut meats from some of the picking elements.

14. In a machine for picking nut meats from cracked shell and meats, ahorizontally movable belt for supporting and feeding the cracked shelll and meats, a picking member bodily, vertically shiftable to and from said belt, picking needles carried by said member and disposed endwise toward the belt during downward shifting movements of the picking member to the belt, for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells means for continuously shifting Vthe picking member vertically to and away from the belt in operation, and mean; carried by the picking member and actuated by vertical shifting movement thereof away from the belt, for discharging impaled nut meats from a portion of the needles, the said needles being spaced from one another on the picking member a distance greater than the size of the shells, to thus avoid wedging of shells between the needles.

15. In a machine for picking nut meats, a movable conveyor for feeding cracked shell and nut meats, a picking member horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating across and above said conveyor, blunt needle-like picking elements carried by the said member for impaling nut meats on the conveyor and engaging shells with'- out impalement, means for rotating and vertically reciprocating said picking member, and means providing and maintaining relatively yielding relation between the conveyor surface and each picking element while in engagement with a shell fragment on said surface, said picking member having a plurality of stripping elements adapted to be engaged by stationary elements while said member is at selected rotative positions whereby reciprocation of said member effects a stripping of a portion of said picking elements.

16. In a machine for picking nut meats from cracked nut shells and meats, a horizontally movable conveyor for supporting the cracked shell and meats, a picking member above, and bodily, vertically snif-table toward and from, said conveyor, picking elements of needle-like form extending from said picking member for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells during shifting movements of the picking member toward the conveyor, means for shifting said picking member vertically and horizontally throughout operation, means operable by, and eifective during, shifting movements of said picking member away from the conveyor, for stripping impaled nut meats from a portion of the picking elements, and means providing and maintaining relatively yielding relation between the conveyor surface and each picking element while in engagement with a shell fragment on said surface.

17. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for carrying graded andA sized shells and nut meats, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking disc above, and extending laterally beyond, the feed belt, having depending picking needles cooperating with said belt for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells, and so spaced with respect to one another and in relation t the sized shell fragments as to prevent the latter from wedging between the needles, means for actuating said disc, a plurality of stripper plates carried by and being reciprocable with' said disc for independent operation to strip impaled nut meats from the respective needles in the direction of the lengths of the latter, and means for preventing reciprocation of selected stripper plates whereby reciprocation of said disc effects a stripping of the cooperating picking elements.

18. In a machine for picking nut meats, a hor` izontally operating feed belt for carrying graded and sized shells and nut meats, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating picking disc 10 above, and extending laterally beyond, the feed belt, having depending picking needles cooperating with said belt for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells, and so spaced with' respect to one another and in relation to the sized shell fragments as to prevent the latter from wedging between the needles, means for actuating said disc,`

a plurality of stripper plates, reciprocably and resiliently mounted on said disc and means on said disc adapted when said plates are in a selected position to engage the plate resilient mounting means to prevent reciprocation of said plates and thereby effect stripping action with respect to the cooperating picking elements.

19. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for carrying graded and sized shells and nuts meats, a picking member having oscillatable movements above and at a side of said belt and having a plurality of picking needles, a stripper plate carried by Yand movable on said member, mounting means t0 normally retain said stripper plate in inoperative position while over said belt and means engageable with said mounting means when at the side of said belt to cause movement between said stripper and said member to strip said needles.

20. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for carrying graded and sized shells and nut meats, a picking member having oscillatable movements above and at a side of said belt and having a plurality of picking needles, a stripper plate carried by and movable on said member, mounting means to normally retain said stripper plate in inoperative position while over said belt and means engageable with said mounting means at a limit of said oscillatable movements to cause movement between said stripper and said member to strip said needles.

21. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating body above said belt and provided with depending picking needles, means to operate said body, and means to strip selected groups of said picking needles.

22. In a machine for picking nut meats, a horizontally operating feed belt for carrying graded and sized shells and nut meats, a horizontally rotating and vertically reciprocating body above said belt and provided with depending needles for impaling nut meats and rejecting shells on said belt, means to operate said body to impale nut meats and carrying same beyond the borders of said belt, and means to strip nut meats from said picking needles outside the borders of the belt.

23. In a machine for picking nut meats, a movable conveyor for feeding cracked shell and meats, a picking member above and across said conveyor, having blunt needle-like picking elements for impaling nut meats on said conveyor and depressing shells Without impalement, means for continuously rotating and vertically reciproeating said picking member over said conveyor and impaling nut meats, and means for discharging impaled nut meats from selected groups of said picking elements outside the area of said conveyor, the said conveyor being provided With a surface layer of soft, yielding material for localized depression beneath needle depressed shells.

VINCENT L. RODRIGUEZ, SR. VINCENT L. RODRIGUEZ, JR. RUDOLPH R. RODRIGUEZ. 

